Echinacea plant named ‘Hot Papaya’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Echinacea  plant named ‘Hot Papaya’, characterized by it upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; strong and thick flowering stems; freely basal branching habit; and large anemone-type inflorescences with orange red-colored ray and disc florets.

Botanical designation: Echinacea hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HOT PAPAYA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Hot Papaya’.

The new Echinacea plant originated from an open-pollination in 2005 in Vleuten, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Echinacea hybrida identified as code number Ec 512-17, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Echinacea hybrida as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Echinacea was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in an outdoor nursery environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands in July, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea plant by micropropagation a controlled greenhouse environment in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands since November, 2007, has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Hot Papaya’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Hot Papaya’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Strong and thick flowering stems.     -   4. Freely basal branching habit.     -   5. Large anemone-type inflorescences with orange red-colored ray         and disc florets.

Plants of the new Echinacea plant can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Echinacea plant differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea are more freely branching than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea have broader leaves than plants         of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea have larger inflorescences than         plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of Echinacea hybrida ‘Razzmatazz’ , disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,894. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Echinacea differed from plants of ‘Razzmatazz’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea were more freely branching than         plants of ‘Razzmatazz’.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea had longer leaves than plants of         ‘Razzmatazz’.     -   3. Plants of the new Echinacea flowered earlier than plants of         ‘Razzmatazz’.     -   4. Plants of the new Echinacea and ‘Razzmatazz’ differed in         floret coloration as plants of ‘Razzmatazz’ had dark         pink-colored ray florets and red purple-colored disc florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Echinacea. The photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering stems of ‘Hot Papaya’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Hot Papaya’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of the upper surface of a typical leaf of ‘Hot Papaya’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Echinacea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 3° C. to 14° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants had been growing for six months when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea hybrida ‘Hot Papaya’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Echinacea hybrida             identified as code number Ec 512-17, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Echinacea hybrida, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By micropropagation.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About five weeks at             21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; pale creamy white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright and columnar plant habit;             freely basal branching; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 70.6 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 30 cm.         -   Basal branches.—Length: About 30.9 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm.             Internode length: About 5.5 cm. Aspect: Upright. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144A             tinged with close to N186C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 18.1 cm.         -   Width.—About 7 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly ovate to lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Narrowly acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate to narrowly cuneate.         -   Margin.—Entire, slightly sinuate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; rough.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137B.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation,             close to 147C to 147D. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface:             Close to 147B; venation, close to 147D.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 3.1 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent; slightly rough. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: Close to 146D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Rotate anemone-type inflorescence form with ray             and disc florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum;             inflorescences positioned above the foliage on strong and             thick peduncles facing upright.         -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—About eight             inflorescences develop per flowering stem.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—Plants flower continuously from early July             to late September in The Netherlands.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about three weeks on the plant; inflorescences             not persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About             2.7 cm. Shape: Flattened globular. Color: Between 143A and             146A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 9.3 cm. Depth (height):             About 6 cm. Disc diameter: About 3.8 cm. Receptacle height:             About 2.4 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.3 cm. Receptacle             color: Close to 155B.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 6.1 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm.             Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate. Apex: Emarginate to praemorse.             Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; longitudinally ridged. Number of             ray florets per inflorescence: About 23 arranged in a single             whorl. Aspect: Horizontal to reflexing. Color: When opening,             upper surface: Close to N34A to N34B. When opening, lower             surface: Close to 53A. Fully opened, upper surface: Between             34A and N34A; towards the base, close to between N34A and             42A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 184B to 184C;             stripes, close to 153C to 153D.         -   Disc florets.—Length: About 2.6 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Shape: Tubular, enlarged; apices praemorse. Number of disc             florets per inflorescence: About 400. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Immature, inner             surface: Close to N34A to N34B. Immature, outer surface:             Close to 53A. Mature, inner surface: Between 34A and N34A;             towards the base, close to between N34A and 42A. Mature,             outer surface: Close to 184B to 184C.         -   Receptacle spines.—Quantity: One per disc floret. Shape:             Acicular. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Apex: Close to 46A. Mid-section: Close to             144A. Base: Close to 145A to 145B.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 50 in             about three whorls. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 4 mm.             Shape: Narrowly ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture,             lower surface: Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 137A; towards the base, close to 144B. Color, lower             surface: Close to 138A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 25.8 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 27.8 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to about 30° from             vertical. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to 145A             speckled with close to 177B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present on ray and disc             florets): Quantity per floret: About two. Filament length:             About 3 mm. Filament color: Close to 164C to 164D. Anther             shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color:             Close to N199B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close             to 13C to 13D. Gynoecium (present only on disc florets):             Quantity per floret: One. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma             shape: Elongate. Stigma color: Close to 187A. Style length:             About 6 mm. Style color: Close to 47D. Ovary color: Close to             157A to 157B.         -   Fruits/seeds.—Fruit and seed development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Echinacea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Echinacea. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have exhibited good     tolerance to rain and wind, have been observed to tolerate     temperatures ranging from about −20° C. to about 45° C. 

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘Hot Papaya’ as illustrated and described. 